The Founder
Cris Rhyner, Founder of Partners In Hope
In 1974 – 75, I received my education in Surgical Technology at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. I worked as a Certified Surgical Technologist for 5 years before meeting my husband while living in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. In August 1982 I received Jesus as my Savior while sitting in my kitchen. Five years later, in 1987, our family relocated to Frederick, MD.
In January 1993, after 2 years of home-schooling our daughter, the Lord miraculously made a way for me to return to the Operating Room. Firmly believing that children need full-time mothers, we’d sacrificed much adhering to that conviction. However, the circumstances surrounding the invitation to part-time employment were impossible to attribute to anything but the hand of God. I never expected to return to work in the OR, but I went!
The first person I met there was a fellow believer on staff, a nurse whose locker was next to mine. In 1996, she repeatedly invited me to join her on a medical team to India with Youth For Christ. I repeatedly declined, but God clearly indicated His desire for us to go, so our family eventually joined the team. My co-worker never came to India! We thought we’d go, do a good work for the Lord and return to our same lives, but again, God had other plans. After ‘tricking’ me into returning to India with another YFC medical team in ’98, I clearly heard Him telling me I’d be returning to India again and again, although I didn’t know why or how. In February 1999, on my 3rd visit to India, I had a fresh, ‘in-your-face’ encounter with my Savior and have been in India repeatedly since then, either as a team leader or participant on more than 30 teams – medical as well as ministry. I also joined a medical team to Haiti in 98, and in July 2000, Bill and I received invitations to Billy Graham’s conference, Amsterdam, 2000. Returning from India in March 2000, I left my job as a Surgical Technologist to focus my attention full time on ministry in India. 
Partners In Hope, Inc., was officially birthed in September 2000 as we began to realize India was not going away! Although my heart is overseas, and I would live there in a heartbeat, we are seeing the Lord continually open doors for us to minister in India while living here in the US. Our goals through this ministry are to build up the small community of believers in that vast, dark country through music, ministry and medicine.
We work co-operatively with organizations in the US and in India to provide opportunities for teams to visit India and work with the believers there, encouraging, teaching and equipping them to carry the Gospel to their own people. We network with churches and other organizations here, in the US, to host the Indian missionaries when they visit and help raise support for pastors, Bible students, and orphaned and neglected children.
I am an Adjunct Faculty member at Frederick Community College in the Surgical Technology Program. I am also a board member for Central Maryland Youth For Christ, a member of the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek, and of the Frederick Evangelical Ministerial Fellowship. My husband, Bill, is employed as an HVAC Mechanic in Frederick. Our daughter, Melissa, is an artist living in Savannah, GA. Our home church is El Shaddai Congregation in Frederick, MD.
As a new chapter in my professional career for Partners in Hope, I am now offering consulting services to organizations taking mission teams abroad. Leading over 40 teams and traveling to India over 30 times has prepared me for new roles as trainer and teacher! My experiences have helped me to prepare mission teams to Russia, Africa, Central America, and other parts of the world. Through worksheet and dialogue guided sessions I am able to prepare other teams for their missions abroad, covering topics that include preparation, culture shock, and mission etiquette. If you or someone you know should require these services please contact us here at Partners in Hope. We look forward to hearing from you!
